Q-Lit, Melbourne (2026)

19/06/2026

Meet the people guiding our key conversations across the festival 🧡💛

🧡 Amy Middleton
Panel: Q***r Media
The trailblazing founder of Archer Magazine and a leading champion of Australia's independent q***r media landscape.

💛 Sita Sargeant
Panel: Unearthing the Sapphic Archive
The brilliant mind behind She Shapes History and a advocate for unearthing the obscured accomplishments of Australian women.

🧡 Andy Balloch
Panel: Main Character Energy
An award-winning Naarm-based comedian and theatre maker who knows exactly how to command a stage with unapologetic q***r joy.

💛 Natasha Rai
Panel: A Life Worth Telling
The award-nominated author of the luminous debut novel An Onslaught of Light, a somatic counsellor, and the co-host of the Book Deal podcast.

🧡 Mitch Brown
Panel: Game Changers
Former professional footballer and a powerful advocate actively working to normalise q***r identities across our sporting codes.

Bookings available for all panels via the link in our bio or our website.
📷 Teague Leigh

18/06/2026

We've put together our key access notes to save you finding them on our website 💛💙

💛 Financial Accessability
Q-Lit runs on a pay-as-you-can ticketing model, including free options. We believe cost should never be a barrier to our community gathering. To order free tickets email [email protected]

💙 Booking Auslan
If you require Auslan interpretation for any of our panels or masterclasses, you can easily add this free service right at checkout. Our team will automatically be notified to book an interpreter for your session!

💛 Social Stories
To help you prepare for your visit, detailed social stories are available on our website outlining exactly what to expect at each venue. There's a story for each day of the festival that you'll find at the bottom of each webpage.

💙 Wheelchair Access
Getting to and navigating our events is a priority, so we've ensured that Kensington Town Hall, Mission to Seafarers, and the Victorian Pride Centre all feature full wheelchair accessibility. Wheelchair access to the Mission to Seafarers is via the gate on Siddeley St.

💛 Bookworm Buddies
Look out for our friendly Bookworm Buddies at the entrance of every venue! They are dedicated volunteers here to warmly welcome you, answer questions, and help ease any social anxiety as you arrive.

💙 Bathrooms
Your fundamental comfort matters to us. All festival venues will have clearly signposted gender-neutral and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.

💛 Quiet Spaces
Festivals can be a lot, so we've designated quiet, low-sensory decompression zones at all three venues. You can slip away whenever you need a moment to recharge away from the crowds and noise.

💙 Masking & Health
We’ve specifically chosen large venues to allow for good air flow and for all attending to spead out. Will have masks and hand sanitizer readily available at the door to all events.

📷 Teague Leigh

17/06/2026

As we get closer to our 2026 Naarm Festival on the 16th to the 19th of July, here's a little tease of our wrap up video from our 2025 festival.
💙
The full 5 minute video is available on our website with footage from across the festival and interviews from writers across the line-up.
💙
Book your 2026 tickets ASAP via the link in our bio or our website - www.q-lit.com.au

🎥 Connor McRae Films

16/06/2026

30 Days to go!
We've made a list of ways that you can be involved 💛💙

💛 Volunteer
We need volunteers across the festival and you get free entry to all events!
Sign up via the link in our bio and fund out more by emailing [email protected]

💙 Host a book stall
Our book fair is already shaping up to be bigger than last year and if you're a writer you can host a stall. Stalls are open to any kind of writer; fiction, non-fiction, zines, plays, children's books, etc.
Sign up via the link in our bio.

💛 Word of mouth
We need your help to tell everyone about the festival, word of mouth is the best way for us to reach the wider LGBTQIA+ and literary communities. If you have a community or advertising opportunity for us we can share our media release and imagery - email [email protected]

💙 Posters
We've got heaps of posters that need to be put up. If you have a free afternoon we'd love your help to put them up across the city. Email [email protected] and we'll arrange to get some posters to you.

💛 Mailing list
You can help us save money on ads by joining out mailing list, it really helps! By being able to directly share our events with the community we're able to save vital funds within the festival budget that we'd rather spend on the creatives.
Join the mailing list via the link in our bio.

11/06/2026

This Sunday we're meeting new friends 💙

There's limited spaces remaining and we're expecting this event to book out ahead of the weekend. Secure your spot today via the link in our bio or via our website.

💜
1pm - 3pm, 14th July
Majorica Room, City Library, Melbourne.

10/06/2026

Our festival partner 💛 Hares & Hyenas 💙

Hares & Hyenas have been by our side since our very first events in 2023, and we couldn't be prouder to have them as our official festival partner and bookseller!
Want to take the festival home with you? Hares & Hyenas will have books for sale at all our events, featuring works from authors across the program.

Join us on July 19th at the Victorian Pride Centre for our huge book fair where Hares & Hyenas will be the centerpiece of the day. Fill your bookshelf and support the champions of q***r literature!

💛
The Q***r Book Fair is free to attend and the panels & showcases running during the event can be booked via our website.

💙
Wanting to be a stall holder a the book fair? Register via the link in our bio or on our website.

03/06/2026

Panel: Main Character Energy 💜💙
Taking Up Space in the Entertainment World

💙
6pm
18th July
Mission to Seafarers

💜
Polite representation is officially out. Join the entertainment greats, Andy Balloch, Samuel Gaskin and Thomas Jaspers, as they ditch the scripts and reveal the messy, glorious reality of navigating the entertainment biz. Get ready for an outrageously fun session on unapologeticly putting yourself out there and the absolute thrill of taking up space.

💙
Hosted by Andy Balloch, with Samuel Gaskin and Thomas Jaspers.

💜
Bookings available via our website of the link in our bio

📷 Teague Leigh

02/06/2026

We’re delighted to support J.C. Rycroft’s in-conversation as a part of Ballarat Pride Month.

💜🧡
Q***r Fantasy Stories in Australia.
Join J.C. Rycroft, Laura Catherine, and Laura J Fitzwilson as they discuss what makes q***r fantasy stories different from straight fantasy.

💜🧡
Free to attend!
2-4pm, Sun 7th June
Ballarat Library, 178 Doveton St North

01/06/2026

Each night has a different focus 💚🧡
We’ve packed all of our events into an action-packed, four-day weekend format. This streamlined schedule is perfect for regional and interstate attendees wanting to experience more in one trip!

🧡
Opening Gala
A reflective, heart-led evening where diverse storytellers unpack our festival theme, Q***r Nostalgia. It’s ideal for audiences looking to be moved, inspired, and deeply connected to our community's history.

💚
Explorations Night
This evening explores bold ideas, from the survival of q***r media and sapphic archives to LGBTQIA+ research. It's the perfect night for deep-thinkers and history buffs hungry to learn.

🧡
Masterclass Series
Three immersive, 90-minute intensive sessions dedicated entirely to professional and creative skill-building. These workshops are tailor-made for emerging writers and creators eager to hone their craft and pitch their ideas.

💚
Our night of cheeky entertainment features industry tea-spilling, a Words & Wine tasting, and the saucy adults-only showcase The Darkroom. Grab your friends if you want a Friday night out full of wild joyous storytelling!

🧡
This day is anchored by our huge Q***r Book Fair alongside panels on character building, q***r sports, and history. It's an absolute must-do for avid readers and local bookworms ready to overflow their TBR piles!

💚
Bookings available via our website or the link in our bio.

📷 Teague Leigh

31/05/2026

Choose your ticket option 💚🧡
All tickets offer an equal experience.

🧡
$5
While grants help us bring Q-Lit to life, they don't cover all of our expenses. This accessible option is perfect for those on a tighter budget, while still helping us bridge the gap in our essential event costs.

💚
$22
Ideal for those in a comfortable financial position, this ticket helps keep Q-Lit sustainable for the future. Your contribution directly supports the vital festival costs that our grant funding doesn't quite stretch to cover.

🧡
$75
Q-Lit is currently a small NFP run with lots of volunteer labour, and we have year-round operational costs to meet. Choosing this ticket sustains us beyond the festival weekend and helps build our future goal of offering paid community roles!

💚
Free
We fiercely believe that community gatherings and educational opportunities must be accessible to absolutely everyone. If cost is a barrier, please just email us at [email protected] to arrange your free ticket, no questions asked.

🧡
This free add-on can be selected alongside any ticket at checkout to instantly notify our team to book an Auslan interpreter for your session. Please only select this option if you require interpretation services so we can accurately coordinate our accessibility resources.

💚
Book your tickets today via our website or link in our bio.

📷 Teague Leigh

Q-Lit

19/06/2026

18/06/2026

17/06/2026

16/06/2026

11/06/2026

10/06/2026

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

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